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I want this thread to be a reference for guys just starting to use Powerlifting gear; suits, shirts, briefs, wraps and anything else.

I have an old Centurion Suit and a Fury Shirt from a brief stint of equipped lifting in 2005 where I made around 260/190/260(kg) as gym lifts. However for the majority of my 12 years of lifting I've lifted and competed unequipped. Heavy weights for well over a decade do take their toll. Basically I'm old and beat up, but I can't exactly stop lifting now can I? So I'm going to slowly introduce equipment and see how I fare. So far knee wraps have proven positive, and I'm waiting on a slingshot, a loose shirt and a loose suit to be delivered.

What I'm looking for from you guys is a list of hints, tips, benefits, warnings and whatever else you can think of for using equipment. This could be to do with training, sizing, competing or anything else you can think of.

Ask yourself why am I using gear first (work around injuries, to compete, overload, etc.) and go from there.

If your goal is to compete multiply, and you have a decent base of strength, don't putz around in single ply gear. Get a pair of multiply briefs, a suit, and a bench shirt and go. But before all that, get yourself around experienced geared lifters. You can go it alone in briefs, but a bench shirt and full gear is a whole other animal.

Any pro's-con's to applying some water to a new Bench Shirt and Squat Suit at the seams, to help wear it in?

I have never added water to the seems of a squat suit, because I have never had an issue getting to depth. On the other hand, on many occasions I have wet a bench shirt. A poly bench shirt needs to warm up some before it stretches well. After a few sets of working on boards, you can spray some waters on the seems, collar, and or chest plate. This will allow the shirt to stretch some more. Often this makes it easier to touch. Guys who are really good in bench shirts dont normally wet them for two reasons. One it may take some "pop" away from the shirt, and two they can touch weights because of practice.

I rarely wash my equipment (I know its nasty), but I am superstitious. I also worry that washing will loosen the fibers. I am positive that drying it with much heat will loosen them.

I have never added water to the seems of a squat suit, because I have never had an issue getting to depth. On the other hand, on many occasions I have wet a bench shirt. A poly bench shirt needs to warm up some before it stretches well. After a few sets of working on boards, you can spray some waters on the seems, collar, and or chest plate. This will allow the shirt to stretch some more.

Thanks JByrd I appreciate that answer.

I'm not so great with the Shirt or the Suit, it's my first proper run at committing to equipped lifting so I probably will end up soaking both a little as you described.

A year or so down the line I'll probably invest in tighter stuff anyway so I may not need to soak it then.